Men's Soccer

Brown Men's Soccer To Host Adidas-Brown Soccer Classic

Sep 07, 2007

Sept. 7, 2007

Providence, RI -
The Brown Men's Soccer team will kick-off its season at home by hosting the 10th adidas-Brown Soccer Classic presented by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, beginning on Friday, Sept. 7 and ending on Sunday, Sept. 9. Joining Brown is No. 5 ranked Santa Clara, Boston University and Fordham, who will all be battling for an adidas-Brown Soccer Classic title.

The first game of the tournament, which features Boston University and Fordham, will get underway at 5:00 p.m. The Bears will take to the field at 7:30 p.m., as they challenge #5 Santa Clara. Don't forget the All-Campus BBQ from 5:00-7:00 p.m. tonight in front of the Pizzitola Sports Center.

The second day of the tournament will be held on Sunday, Sept. 9, starting at noon when the Terriers take on Santa Clara. The next game will be Brown battling it out with Fordham beginning at 2:30. Tickets for the game are $5 for adults. Children under 12 are admitted free and Brown Students with a valid student ID are also admitted free of charge.

The outlook is optimistic for the Bears soccer squad as they open up the 2007 season tonight. While the Bears will be facing new challenges this year, the return of 20 letterwinners, including 12 starters and the addition of seven newcomers, signifies the making of another exciting season of Brown men's soccer.

Having made its 22nd NCAA tournament appearance last season, Brown is prepping for still another outstanding season. The 2007 edition of the team features an experience and talented roster. In spite of the departure of three outstanding seniors who each earned post-season accolades, the Bears will still be one of the top teams competing for the Ivy title.

Leading the offense will be senior Kevin Davies (Port Washington, NY) and junior Dylan Sheehan (Wolfville, NS), who proved to be a tremendous spark off the bench last season. Returning to the midfied will be sophomore Nick Elenz-Martin (Encinitas, CA) and junior Darren Howerton (Northboro, MA), as seniors Matt Britner (Halifax, NS), Laurent Manuel (New York, NY) and First Team All-Ivy honoree, junior Rhett Bernstein (San Diego, CA), lead the defense. Bernstein was Brown's second-leading scorer last season with eight goals and was recently named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy watchlist.

Picked #5 in the College Soccer News preseason Top 30 poll, the Santa Clara men's soccer team was picked to win its 10th West Coast Conference title in the WCC preseason coaches poll. The Broncos have 19 letterwinners back from the 2006 team, including leading scorer Peter Lowry, who was named to the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy watch list this year. The team also returns WCC Co-Freshman of the Year Stephen McCarthy, along with All-WCC performers Matt Hatzke, Jamil Roberts, Jide Ogunbiyi and Jeff Cosgriff. All-WCC goalkeeper Joseph Buttitta also returns after having a standout season in 2006.

BU had its best start in 12 years in 2006, going 4-0-1 in its first five games en route to a 10-4-5 overall mark and a conference record of 4-3-1. The Terriers recorded eight shutouts, tying New Hampshire for most in the America East, and the team's 12 goals allowed fell one short of the program record for fewest allowed in a season. While the Terriers lost AE Defender of the Year Zach Kirby to graduation, BU returns 15 letter winners including First Team All-Conference member Neil Hlavaty and Second Team All-Conference honoree Petur Sigurdsson.

Last season, Fordham's program took giant steps forward: beating a nationally ranked team in its season opener on the road, earning national and regional rankings throughout the season, and staying unbeaten through the start of October. Unfortunately, the Rams came up a goal short in their season finale, and missed out on the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Senior Dean Stanic will be the main threat on offense, after finishing second on the team in scoring last season with five goals. Senior Kevin Meyer, the team's captain for the second consecutive year, led the team in scoring for the second year with six goals and 14 points. He was a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection and Third Team All-Region pick.